Background Guide: Commission on Narcotic Drugs
Topic A: Countering Money-Laundering and Promoting Judicial Cooperation to Enhance
International Cooperation
As defined by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, money laundering is a reference to
“financial transaction in which criminals, including terrorist organizations, attempt to disguise
the proceeds, sources or nature of their illicit activities.” Money laundering ultimately facilitates
a broad range of serious criminal offenses, threatening the financial system’s integrity as a
whole. Though, there are heavy consequences for this offense, it is very difficult to monitor them
because criminals use nondescript and seemingly ordinary means to mask illicit activity. For
example, an individual participating in a drug conspiracy typically accounts for a sudden influx
of funds by making the finances instead appear to be profits from legal, everyday institutions
such as jewelry shops or car washes (IRS). This method is commonly used because, in the eyes
of the law, such individuals are then simply considered to be highly successful businessmen
rather than drug distributors.
In order to counter this criminal offense, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) established the Global Programme against Money-Laundering (GPML) in 1997. As
of 1998, the GPML mandate was strengthened by broadening its scope to address all serious
crime, rather than drug-related offenses specifically. Some of these specific provisions include
financial suppression of terrorism, transnational organized crime, and overall corruption. The
most recent GPML mandate, resolution 60/288 of the UN General Assembly in 2006, especially
works towards promotion of judicial cooperation to enhance international cooperation
(UNODC). The broad objective of the entire program is to improve monitoring of serious crime,
initiating measures against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. In concordance
with international standards, the UNODC is to detect, seize, and confiscate any illicit proceeds.
Possible solutions for countering money laundering include the usage of specialized
software. If a company is to become skeptical of a certain business relationship, it can monitor
transactions with risk-based software such as the Money Laundering Detection System (MLDS).
For instance, warning signals of illicit transactions are large cash deposits at the beginning of a
business relationship, transactions to high risk countries, or transactions that are structured to
avoid certain record keeping (Bosch). Further countering of money laundering must involve the
hiring of prevention bodies, such as banks or exchange offices, supervisory bodies, including the
Tax Administration, and criminal prosecution authorities.
Questions to Consider:
-Is your country of the GPML mandate? How does your country issue consequences of money
laundering and serious crimes?
Works Cited
“Money Laundering: Meeting Money Laundering Laws and Guidelines." Bosch. N.p., n.d. Web.
20 May 2014. <http://www.bosch-si.com/finance/our-portfolio/compliancesuite/mlds/compliance-software-anti-money-laundering.html>.
"Examples of Money Laundering Investigations - Fiscal Year 2013." IRS. N.p., n.d. Web.
20 May 2014. <http://www.irs.gov/uac/Examples-of-Money-Laundering- InvestigationsFiscal-Year-2013>.
"Money Laundering." US Department of the Treasury. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.
<http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/terrorist-illicit-finance/Pages/MoneyLaundering.aspx>.
"UNODC and Money-Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism." United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2014.
<http://www.unodc.org/unodc/money-laundering/index.html?ref=menuside>
Topic B: Strengthening a Human Rights and Public Health Based Approach to Diseases
Related to Drug Abuse
Modern-day society is characterized by a negative attitude towards diseases related to
drug abuse, namely - addiction. The general public fails to recognize drug abuse related diseases
for what they are, and instead views them as a moral failing. Society tends to neglect the
pathology behind addiction behaviors, such as genetic, environmental, and epidemiologic
factors. Even health professionals concur with this viewpoint, falling back on prejudices that
portray substance abusing as a lifestyle choice rather than a chronic disease. While societal
values play a major role in addressing the issue, it is also crucial that diseases related to drug
abuse are considered with the same bias exhibited toward any other medical condition
(Stanbrook). In order to make any advancement toward a more positive approach to drug abuse
related diseases, it is essential that today’s attitudes be separated from the actual science behind
these issues.
To strengthen the approach to diseases related to drug abuse, the UN adopted the
Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction. In order to alleviate the
outlook on drug abuse related diseases, the UN initially found it most effective to address the
issue of drug production as a whole. As a result of this initiative, efforts have been made by
governments at all levels in order to suppress illicit production, trafficking, and distribution of
drugs. This movement calls for a “political, social, health and educational commitment to
investing in demand reduction programmes” (UN). The primary intent of this program is to
reduce public health problems, improve individual health and wellbeing, and make communities
safer and reestablish family ties.
Other possible solutions for improving the human rights and public health viewpoint of
drug abuse related diseases is primarily centered around education. It is pertinent that the youth
are aware of the dangers of drugs and their resultant diseases from a young age. In order to avoid
addiction, it is crucial for the general public to be able to recognize the risk factors that tend to
lead to these behaviors, along with protective factors that work as effective preventative
measures. The issue of ignorance of and discrimination against diseases related to drug abuse can
ultimately be alleviated with an increased awareness of the issue. Further efforts to decrease
levels of illegal drug production and distribution are also essential in moving toward the
eradication of the issue entirely.
Questions to Consider:
-What is your country’s viewpoint on diseases related to drug abuse?
-What is your country’s outlook on individuals suffering from such diseases?
-Which measures has your country adopted toward reducing illegal drug production?
Works Cited
"Demand Reduction." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 21 May 2014. <http://www.un.org/ga/20
special/demand.htm>.
Stanbrook, Matthew, Ph.D. "Addiction Is a Disease: We Must Change Our Attitudes toward
Addicts." Canadian Medical Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2014. <http://www.cmaj.ca/
content/184/2/155>.